Sixers could package Paul George, Rutgers Scarlet Knights basketball star Ace Bailey in Kevin Durant trade | Sporting News

The Philadelphia 76ers are looking for a big fish to reel in using Paul Georges remaining $112-plus million contract and the rights to the No.

3 overall NBA draft pick, widely expected to be Rutgers Scarlet Knights basketball star Ace Bailey, this offseason.

CBS Sports Sam Quinn believes the package could make the Phoenix Suns Kevin Durant a potential trade candidate, despite his age and injury history.

The Utah Jazzs Lauri Markkanens name was also floated.

Trading the pick could do two important things for the 76ers.

The first, obviously, would be to help push this team back toward contention next season by swapping out the declining George for an upgrade.

The second, and arguably more important part, would be getting out of the last three years of George's contract before it becomes too onerous to move, Quinn wrote.

Of course, doing so wouldn't exactly clean up their books.

Durant will be 37 on opening night and will likely want a contract extension.

Markkanen is on the books for four more years, one more than George, at max money.

Any player the 76ers take back in a George deal is going to be expensive.

He'd just need to justify that financial investment.

Durant and Joel Embiid would make for quite the worrying one-two punch from a health perspective.

Embiids career continuation has been called into question due to his injuries from the 2024-25 season.

Duants Achilles rupture still haunts him six years later as he enters his age-37 season, even if his comeback has been nothing less than inspiring .

George on the Suns, or a third team, would likely be an upgrade to his situation after his Sixers tenure was marred by being a poor fit next to Tyrese Maxey and the rest of the teams young talent..

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